The celebration of “Buwan Ng Wika” (National Language Month) concluded with a very successful program in San Beda College Alabang yesterday.

It was my seventh time in attendance as an indigenous person.

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2015

2016

2017

Consistently representing the southern part of the Philippines, I garbed myself with an outfit which was a product of mixing and matching again. Thanks to my fondness for tunic blouses, shawls/pashmina and malong, I think it’ll take time before I run out of costumes for this event which happens to be a personal favorite. Hahahaha…

But, I have to make a confession. I actually bought a relatively expensive attire that’s intended for this affair during my sojourn to Dubai on January 18. However, I changed my mind on wearing it at the last minute since the style and the color are not identifiable with the traditional Muslim dress in the Philippines.

Moreover, I did not want to cause panic and terror among the attendees, thinking that a female ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) member had barged into the St. Maur Hall. Hu-hu!

I would rather that I bring verve to this annual gathering which promotes the use and love of our national language.

Surprisingly, Filipino is not my first language for I am a Bicolana. Despite this fact, I will always feel great pride of my Malay heritage regardless of the Mindanaoan fashion I strut in.